What I will miss

I was in the city of Osh this past week.  Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, in the south, right up against the border of Uzbekistan.  The feel is completely different from Russified, Soviet Bishkek.  The men wear ethnic hats and long velvety robes, the sun is always shining, and the landscape just some how matches better.  In Osh, you can hear the call to prayer or a herd of sheep bleating, all mingled in with autobody shops and the pumping bazaar.  Plus there’s a sacred mountain, smack in the city center, always popping up, which is somehow reassuring.

Here is a partial list of what I will be sorry to leave.

What I will miss:

1.  Getting to wear thick green eyeshadow to the grocery store, on Monday mornings.  Although I suppose I can keep doing this if we move to New York, depending on which neighborhood.

2.  The bread, the bread, and my special breadmaker, Honeybaby Evro.

3.  The pace.  I have had so much free time here, and it is wonderful.  Just once, just once go try living in a country where there aren’t caffeine jacking stations every three blocks, where the thought of drinking 20 ounces of coffee as your opening move for the day is lunacy.  Take a load off and have some watery green tea over the course of three hours instead.

Although when you have all the time in the world to get something done, it ends up taking all the time in the world.

4.  Pomegranates and persimmons.

5.  The chance to do so many new things:  snowboarding, see Thailand, trail a political protest, rafting, horseriding, hike in a pristine emptiness still fingerprint-free, drink mare’s milk, experience the powerful cleaning effects of that mare’s milk over the course of several days, shiver in a yurt, aikido.

6.  Kyrgyz hats.  The ak-kalpak is phenomenally dashing.

7.   How unselfconsciously people dance here.  Everyone dances, on the first beat; nobody is ever worried about looking stupid.  Fuck you MTV for making our generation worried about DANCING.  Fuck you.

8.  And of course, Kyrgyz people.  They are a lovely, friendly bunch, with A-1 smiles and nomad hospitality.

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